The Great Movie Ride

PopCentury2007 · Post by **PopCentury2007** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 9:37 am

I'm sitting here listening to the live version of the 'Great Movie Ride' and was wondering if fellow-subsonic'ers think its due for an update. I know there are mixed reviews when it comes to updating any ride at WDW, but thought this might be one that could benefit from some rehab. Several of the featured films on the ride are quite dated now, and even though they're classics; they could be replaced with other 'newer' classics that represent a newer age of story-telling via the big screen. All thoughts are welcome.

Thanks

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 10:23 am

I voted "leave as is" but only because "update existing content" was not an option. I think the idea of GMR is about the classics not the so-called "new classics." If you want, update the film at the end as they've done at least once. I think they just need to do some refurb in there and maybe update some of the scenes, or "plus" them I think is the buzz word. I assume there's a space limitation at play for the Fantasia scene, but even still I think they can update that. Even add little water sprayers to the wall that produce a mist every time Mickey summons a wave or something. Give more life to some of the scenes, some of the figures are virtually just statues. Give Ripley a functional flame thrower which casts a flame into an airduct, give Indy a bit more fitting role than struggling to lift the Ark, make Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion hop along the yellow-brick road as opposed to just be petrified in place forever, completely overhaul that "mummy" section- I know they're dead but c'mon. It's actually the portion of the ride I have the biggest problem with, it represents the "horror" genre, which apparently is the most popular genre amongst all the tour guides (weird huh?

), but it's not even from an actual movie. I know you don't want to scare little kids badly but c'mon two scenes earlier you have Alien, one of the most nightmarish creations ever to grace the silver screen, descending upon them amidst strobe lights and steam. Put in Dracula or the Wolfman or something, I know those are Universal creations for the most part, but Jimminy Cricket you've got King Kong and Terminator in the end movie which are Universal attractions! (King Kong still resides in CA even though he was unfortunately fired in Orlando

) Even more, the Mummy was also a Universal production and the updated version is also a Universal ride! The mummy is the lamest of the classic horror monsters! Grrr. Give us an actual classic horror scene! Or at least one that's more than a handful of redundant immobile skeletons w/ glowing red eyes.

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 10:27 am

I agree that with the advancements in Audio Animatronic figures in recent years (think the Mr. Potato Head at Toy Story Midway Mania), that a few of the existing characters could be polished up a bit, but what new movies would you add? A lot of the conflict would come from licensing, and whether or not Disney could buy the rights to depict the scenes in the ride.

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 11:07 am

I voted to update, but I don't mean update the entire ride! This is funny b/c my DH and I were just talking about this the other day! I think I would just make a few changes, like maybe replace Alien with a new classic. But mostly a refurb, it could use some help. I don't think they've done anything to this attraction since it opened, except with update the film at the end. This is one of our favs. at DHS, I don't want too much change, but a little would be nice! Maybe give the CM a new role to play?! I'm not sure which movie I would add as a new classic, I'll have to give that some thought!

spodie · Post by **spodie** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 11:25 am

Mr.ToadWildRider wrote:I voted "leave as is" but only because "update existing content" was not an option. I think the idea of GMR is about the classics not the so-called "new classics."

In my opinion, that statement seems like it would have fit about 10 years ago, but not so much now. I feel that DHS is headed in a new direction and featuring newer, upbeat attractions that seem to focus on the "here and now" in movies and technology. Therefore, GMR seems slightly out of place now. I think some of these scenes were trying to be pushed as "classics" (not necessarily by Disney though) at the time GMR was being built and never really made it to that level (ex. Alien). Some of the movies I've never even heard of (ex. The Public Enemy) and don't think many people in their key demographic have either.

I think that they should keep some of the true classics (like Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz) and scrap a few of them to put in what will relate to their audiences better. That being said, I think that my favorite part of the ride is the end when they show the clips of movies. Maybe they should take the more popular clips and create scenes from them. Off the top of my head, maybe Titanic, Pirates, Toy Story, etc.

Therefore, if I say that they need to update the ride itself, they need to change the Movie loop that runs as you are waiting for the ride as well to something that will match the ride more.

Future Guy · Post by **Future Guy** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 12:18 pm

I picked "leave as is" but only because I don't think more recent films should be included. I certainly think that the ride could use a bit of a rehab, but I firmly believe that it should maintain its focus on classic movies. If you include new movies, then Disney is in a situation where they have to update the ride every few years or just let it sit and become progressively more dated-thus making it extremely likely that they will at some point decide to scrap the entire ride and install something inferior, like a Wizards of Waverly Place 3D movie.

That being said, I think that the Aliens scene should come out. Aliens was definitely an important film, but it's not deeply imbedded in the public subconscious the way that Wizard of Oz or the Indiana Jones movies are. If you want a sci-fi moment in there, why not something from the original Star Wars? It's something that Disney has the rights to (I think) and it's much better-known.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 1:09 pm

I think they should update it as far as cleaning it up, new AA's and new narration. The only scene I would think about changing is Tarzan, yet I would still put a so called "classic" film in there, just a better known one.

ckc0915 · Post by **ckc0915** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 1:39 pm

i had heard a rumor awhile back that they were looking to take out alien in favor of The Lord of the Rings, but apparently there were some licensing issues as the handlers of the Tolkien estate. do not get along with Disney very well. i think that the Rings trilogy would have a rightful place in GMR, if all the details were worked out.

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 2:18 pm

I don't think the ride should be completely updated like most of the PP but I do agree that some of it needs updating. The classics should stay including most of the beginning scenes but Aliens needs updating, I think Tarzan could be changed to something else. I guess the gangster and western scenes could be overhauled in some way. I'd say update Indy but we'd end up with the gosh awful Crystal Skull movie so I say leave well enough alone. I'm trying to think of the order of the scenes and I think I've covered most of them. And like Spaceship Earth, if all they did was update the scenes and update the AA that would be a huge improvement. And the opening movie in the queue could absolutely be updated and lengthened.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 2:44 pm

I think may be if they just put it back to it's original layout would help it a lot, there is a non-functioning scene at the beginning of the ride. I don't know about all this "new classic stuff". Does anybody remember when classic meant something had stood the test of time?

Post by **Len90** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 3:00 pm

I am definitely in favor of some updates to the attraction. I would definitely not want to change the whole attraction, but I would surely try and add a few more recent movies that are considered greats to the attraction. The main thing I would update is the film at the end of the attraction. I know it was recently changed around, but it just IMO has been unable to stand up to the test of time. I have to agree with jenhen on the AA updates. the characters from the Wizard of Oz could definitely use some enhancements. Especially the witch, she seems to have slowed down and doesn't ascend and descend as fast as she did in years prior.

As far as the queue, that movie is horrendous and really needs a lot of work.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 3:33 pm

Len90 wrote: As far as the queue, that movie is horrendous and really needs a lot of work.

The queue movie is the original theatrical previews of the various movies found within TGMR. I think it's very fitting and well themed personally. The only really glaring negative I can see is that they loop the Alien preview in it- the preview is particularly loud and terrifying for children. The scene in the ride is scary but honestly I always thought it was fun as a kid but the preview would make me cover my ears and close my eyes.

Replacing Alien w/ Star Wars would seem to make sense, the problem is you've got Star Tours in the park already. It's true you've got 2x Indy as well I suppose (I'm not going to count Fantasmic/Fantasia) but it would be a good fit. I would agree that Alien is not a big a classic as Star Wars in many ways, although it is a sci-fi/horror classic of significant proprtion.

I've never seen Tarzan but he was a pretty big deal in the golden days of film. I do however think he's placed poorly as he's the last (if I recall correctly) scene prior to the finale movie - kinda anti-climatic. Oz would've been better.

spodie wrote:In my opinion, that statement seems like it would have fit about 10 years ago, but not so much now. I feel that DHS is headed in a new direction and featuring newer, upbeat attractions that seem to focus on the "here and now" in movies and technology. Therefore, GMR seems slightly out of place now. I think some of these scenes were trying to be pushed as "classics" (not necessarily by Disney though) at the time GMR was being built and never really made it to that level (ex. Alien). Some of the movies I've never even heard of (ex. The Public Enemy) and don't think many people in their key demographic have either.

I think that they should keep some of the true classics (like Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz) and scrap a few of them to put in what will relate to their audiences better. That being said, I think that my favorite part of the ride is the end when they show the clips of movies. Maybe they should take the more popular clips and create scenes from them. Off the top of my head, maybe Titanic, Pirates, Toy Story, etc.

I have to disagree with this statement. I think this portion of the park still presents the classic era of Hollywood. The entrance is very art deco 1920-1950 chic, as is the whole of the front portion of the park. It's not til you start hitting Indy/Star Tours on the left side and Pixar Studios on the right that you really start to lose that feel. The big exception (well aside from the hat I suppose) is RnR which I'm fairly certain was only placed there due to then limited space, before the time when they figured 1/2 the backlot tour was expendable.

As for pushing "classics," I'd agree that perhaps there were some industry politics at play in putting alien in and billing it as a classic - although I think many would argue alien is one of the biggest sci-fi classics in terms of breaking ground and re-vitalizing a genre which had essentially been a joke (i.e. the sci-fi diner). War of the Worlds would have been the best choice I think, but that's just me. It adds a thrill but it's not a horrifying monster either. And no... I'm not talking about Tom Cruise War of the Worlds...

Public Enemy on the other hand is most certainly a classic. The gangster genre may not be fitting the "demongraphic" of Disney per se if you're referring to families w/ small children but I don't think any of the films featured in TGMR really are with the exceptions of maybe Mary Poppins, the Wizard of Oz, and perhaps Fantasia (although I'd argue Fantasia is not targetted at children). Indy, for example, is fun, but it's not really a kids movie- the guy's in gun fights with Nazis and witnesses people's hearts being torn from their chests in graphic detail. Also, you recommend Titanic but I would say that's not Disney's demographic either considering it shows the tragic deaths of thousands, also in graphic detail, which is a true story- and there's nudity in the film; it is not a kid's movie. I think it's clear from the dialogue in TGMR that the point of the ride is to try and depict classics from the various genres. If something is to be replaced it should be replaced from within its own genre and for many cases I'm not sure there are better examples to be had.

As for Toy Story and Pirates, there's a ride for Pirates already, the movie was based off of it- I think having a ride about a movie about a ride in the same park family is a bit redundant. Similarly for Toy Story, there's now an entire land right around the corner from TGMR devoted to it, and same for Star Wars really too.

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 3:49 pm

You know I never put it together that the scenes from the queue area are scenes from the ride. But isn't Gone with the Wind in that movie? Is there a Gone with the Wind scene? I don't seem to remember that now. My brain is all fuzzy.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 3:55 pm

jenhen27 wrote:You know I never put it together that the scenes from the queue area are scenes from the ride. But isn't Gone with the Wind in that movie? Is there a Gone with the Wind scene? I don't seem to remember that now. My brain is all fuzzy.

There's no Gone With the Wind clip in the opening. If there's any Gone With the Wind it's in the closing movie but I don't recall it being there either. Could you be thinking of Casablanca?

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 4:00 pm

No, I'm certain it's in there somewhere. I remember the music. OK, off to do some internet recon.

ETA: It's listed as a film in the finale. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Th ... Ride_films

Although some of those films listed in the finale play in the queue so I'm not sure.

Subsonic Radio

The Great Movie Ride

Should Disney update 'The Great Movie Ride'?

The Great Movie Ride